"Scarlett darling, aren't you hungry?" the woman called as she timidly
opened the door.
Scarlett sat silently beside the window, staring out at the setting sun, as she spotted her aunt entering she brushed her hair in front of the right side of her face, a sigh escaping from her red painted lips. She stood and faced her aunt, "I am not hungry Aunty Marianne..."
"Scarlett, honey...if you don't start eating more your just going to fade away right in front of me," Marianne forced a laugh as Scarlett turned back to the window.
"Do you know what tonight will be Aunty?" Scarlett asked quietly.
"No darling I don't. What will it be?"
Scarlett put a pale peach hand to the glass pane, "It will be nine years tonight. Nine years since Jerico burned. Nine years since I died."
Marianne put the plate down and embraced Scarlett, "Baby, I know your still hurting...but your parents wouldn't want you to live like this," she looked around Scarlett's room, the walls and furniture were cut up, no doubt by Scarlett's intense sword practicing everyday, the fine dresses hung, covered in dust, in the closet, "Your parents would've wanted you to be happy... And you'll never be happy if you don't let go of the past."
"What if my pain is all I have left?" Scarlett asked quietly, "What if I only live because of this pain?"
"Honey, please... be sensible," her aunt sighed, and looked at Scarlett, the almost stoic face hidden behind a veil of honey colored hair, no light in her eyes, no spark left, "Scarlett, if you need to cry, just cry. Wouldn't that be better then being miserable all the time?"
"What good would crying do me?" Scarlett broke out of her aunt's embrace, "Tears will never fix anything."
"But tears are how we get rid of pressure on the soul baby."
"I have no soul left Aunty Marianne."
"Scarlett," her aunt frowned, then sighed, and began nervously straightening her dress, "Your uncle and I have been talking, and we think that it's time you settle down and start a family. We think that it would help you...recover..."
Scarlett looked at her aunt, "...You want me to marry one of those suitors then?"
"We think that would make you happy again honey. You know, we have never seen you smile... Why I remember when you were just a little girl, you were always smiling, but now-"
"You expect me to get married?" Scarlett asked, voice quavering, "You expect me to get married, looking like this?" she moved her hair away from her face.
Her aunt's face paled beneath all her makeup as she gaped at Scarlett; a hideous, hand-shaped burn mark covered most of the right side of her face, "Well...we can cover it up," her aunt finally managed to speak.
Scarlett let her hair fall back into place, covering the burn beneath a wave of honey again, "Just leave Aunty...Get out."
Her aunt sighed and headed for the door, "Please, promise me you'll eat," she turned to Scarlett.
Scarlett was already sitting by the window, gazing out at the moon, and didn't reply.
"We only want you to be happy Scarlett. Remember that." her aunt spoke softly as she shut the door.
Scarlett glanced to the door as a faint clicking reached her ears, "So...locking me in my room is what shall make me happy?" she sighed as she stood up, "Perhaps I should just let them help me..." she thought out loud as she walked idly to her closet, and began brushing the dust from her dresses.
"That's a big no-no, girlfriend," came a slightly lisped male's voice, soon a black cloaked man had appeared.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Oh, how rude of me!" he laughed a little, "My name is Zvian, and I'm here to help you out girl. So, how's it going? It's been ages since I've seen you, you were just knee-high when I last saw you!"
"...Zvian...my flaming 'fairy godfather'..." she crossed her arms, "Why are you showing up now?"
"I'm a busy man, I can't be with you all the time!"
".... So, you show up now?"
"Look, I have a schedule, but I booked the whole night for you, so let's just have some tea, and chat for a bit!" he giggled as he took a seat; a tea pot and two cups appeared in his hands as he began fixing them each a cup, "So, how have you been?"
"Horrid."
"Really? How awful!" he poured himself and then Scarlett a cup of tea, "So, why's it been so horrible?"
"My family was killed, and my home destroyed along with all its citizens. I was scarred in the 'incident' and have been living with my aunt and uncle since."
"Oh...that does sound dreadful!" he took a sip of tea, then leaned forward, "Okay, Scar darling that settles it! You have to get out of this place. All those suitors are total creepos, and besides if you get married you can't ever get revenge, and you'll just become a fat, grumpy house wife!" he shivered.
Scarlett took a few slow sips of her tea, "Where would I go though? My aunt and uncle would send people to find me."
"Wait, first thing firsts, how do you get out of here?" he frowned, "They locked the door!"
"There are windows Zvian..."
"Oh!! That's good!" he clapped, "Okay, so you escape out of the window, and go to Jerico." he nodded.
"What?"
"Yes, go to your old home! That'd be the last place they'd expect, and besides you'll need to figure out who the demon who burnt your town down is, and what better place to get clues then where it happened!" with that he stood up and began packing her bags.
"Now don't be nervous, I'll be keeping an eye on you." he smiled as he thrust the bag into her lap, "Oh, and I have one last present!" he waved his hand; a sword soon appeared. The blade was a pale gold, and the handle was encrusted with jewels of every type, "This'll keep you safe, cause I can't have my little Scarlett getting hurt!"
She stood up slowly, and put the bag on her back before taking the sword from him, "...Thanks Zvian."
"Oh, give me a hug!" he yelled before tightly hugging Scarlett, "Now remember, straight to Jerico, no pit stops, alright? If you do that you should be there in a matter of days," he released her, and opened the window, "Oh...it's a long jump honey, are you sure you'll be able to make it?"
"I'll be fine Zvian." Scarlett sighed as she pulled a rope out from under her bed, "I've been planning to do this," she told him as she tied the rope to her bed, and lowered it out the window, and began climbing down.
"Be careful baby!" Zvian waved as she reached the ground, and vanished from sight, the smile melted from his face, and he began brushing himself off, "Humans are disgusting..." he shuddered.
He glanced out the window again, and then walked over to the door, smirking to himself, he destroyed the door, and began down the stairs, "Oh Aunty Marianne..." he called sweetly, "Come out wherever you are...Zvian wants to play!"
*******Yay for the rewritten part! *dances* What do you think, better or worse then the original? **********
Scarlett sat silently beside the window, staring out at the setting sun, as she spotted her aunt entering she brushed her hair in front of the right side of her face, a sigh escaping from her red painted lips. She stood and faced her aunt, "I am not hungry Aunty Marianne..."
"Scarlett, honey...if you don't start eating more your just going to fade away right in front of me," Marianne forced a laugh as Scarlett turned back to the window.
"Do you know what tonight will be Aunty?" Scarlett asked quietly.
"No darling I don't. What will it be?"
Scarlett put a pale peach hand to the glass pane, "It will be nine years tonight. Nine years since Jerico burned. Nine years since I died."
Marianne put the plate down and embraced Scarlett, "Baby, I know your still hurting...but your parents wouldn't want you to live like this," she looked around Scarlett's room, the walls and furniture were cut up, no doubt by Scarlett's intense sword practicing everyday, the fine dresses hung, covered in dust, in the closet, "Your parents would've wanted you to be happy... And you'll never be happy if you don't let go of the past."
"What if my pain is all I have left?" Scarlett asked quietly, "What if I only live because of this pain?"
"Honey, please... be sensible," her aunt sighed, and looked at Scarlett, the almost stoic face hidden behind a veil of honey colored hair, no light in her eyes, no spark left, "Scarlett, if you need to cry, just cry. Wouldn't that be better then being miserable all the time?"
"What good would crying do me?" Scarlett broke out of her aunt's embrace, "Tears will never fix anything."
"But tears are how we get rid of pressure on the soul baby."
"I have no soul left Aunty Marianne."
"Scarlett," her aunt frowned, then sighed, and began nervously straightening her dress, "Your uncle and I have been talking, and we think that it's time you settle down and start a family. We think that it would help you...recover..."
Scarlett looked at her aunt, "...You want me to marry one of those suitors then?"
"We think that would make you happy again honey. You know, we have never seen you smile... Why I remember when you were just a little girl, you were always smiling, but now-"
"You expect me to get married?" Scarlett asked, voice quavering, "You expect me to get married, looking like this?" she moved her hair away from her face.
Her aunt's face paled beneath all her makeup as she gaped at Scarlett; a hideous, hand-shaped burn mark covered most of the right side of her face, "Well...we can cover it up," her aunt finally managed to speak.
Scarlett let her hair fall back into place, covering the burn beneath a wave of honey again, "Just leave Aunty...Get out."
Her aunt sighed and headed for the door, "Please, promise me you'll eat," she turned to Scarlett.
Scarlett was already sitting by the window, gazing out at the moon, and didn't reply.
"We only want you to be happy Scarlett. Remember that." her aunt spoke softly as she shut the door.
Scarlett glanced to the door as a faint clicking reached her ears, "So...locking me in my room is what shall make me happy?" she sighed as she stood up, "Perhaps I should just let them help me..." she thought out loud as she walked idly to her closet, and began brushing the dust from her dresses.
"That's a big no-no, girlfriend," came a slightly lisped male's voice, soon a black cloaked man had appeared.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Oh, how rude of me!" he laughed a little, "My name is Zvian, and I'm here to help you out girl. So, how's it going? It's been ages since I've seen you, you were just knee-high when I last saw you!"
"...Zvian...my flaming 'fairy godfather'..." she crossed her arms, "Why are you showing up now?"
"I'm a busy man, I can't be with you all the time!"
".... So, you show up now?"
"Look, I have a schedule, but I booked the whole night for you, so let's just have some tea, and chat for a bit!" he giggled as he took a seat; a tea pot and two cups appeared in his hands as he began fixing them each a cup, "So, how have you been?"
"Horrid."
"Really? How awful!" he poured himself and then Scarlett a cup of tea, "So, why's it been so horrible?"
"My family was killed, and my home destroyed along with all its citizens. I was scarred in the 'incident' and have been living with my aunt and uncle since."
"Oh...that does sound dreadful!" he took a sip of tea, then leaned forward, "Okay, Scar darling that settles it! You have to get out of this place. All those suitors are total creepos, and besides if you get married you can't ever get revenge, and you'll just become a fat, grumpy house wife!" he shivered.
Scarlett took a few slow sips of her tea, "Where would I go though? My aunt and uncle would send people to find me."
"Wait, first thing firsts, how do you get out of here?" he frowned, "They locked the door!"
"There are windows Zvian..."
"Oh!! That's good!" he clapped, "Okay, so you escape out of the window, and go to Jerico." he nodded.
"What?"
"Yes, go to your old home! That'd be the last place they'd expect, and besides you'll need to figure out who the demon who burnt your town down is, and what better place to get clues then where it happened!" with that he stood up and began packing her bags.
"Now don't be nervous, I'll be keeping an eye on you." he smiled as he thrust the bag into her lap, "Oh, and I have one last present!" he waved his hand; a sword soon appeared. The blade was a pale gold, and the handle was encrusted with jewels of every type, "This'll keep you safe, cause I can't have my little Scarlett getting hurt!"
She stood up slowly, and put the bag on her back before taking the sword from him, "...Thanks Zvian."
"Oh, give me a hug!" he yelled before tightly hugging Scarlett, "Now remember, straight to Jerico, no pit stops, alright? If you do that you should be there in a matter of days," he released her, and opened the window, "Oh...it's a long jump honey, are you sure you'll be able to make it?"
"I'll be fine Zvian." Scarlett sighed as she pulled a rope out from under her bed, "I've been planning to do this," she told him as she tied the rope to her bed, and lowered it out the window, and began climbing down.
"Be careful baby!" Zvian waved as she reached the ground, and vanished from sight, the smile melted from his face, and he began brushing himself off, "Humans are disgusting..." he shuddered.
He glanced out the window again, and then walked over to the door, smirking to himself, he destroyed the door, and began down the stairs, "Oh Aunty Marianne..." he called sweetly, "Come out wherever you are...Zvian wants to play!"
*******Yay for the rewritten part! *dances* What do you think, better or worse then the original? **********